In my ongoing series, "Choose Your Difficult: Navigating the Complex Choices of Dog Ownership," I've been exploring the many challenges that dog owners face and how the choices we make can have long-lasting effects on our dogs' behavior and our relationships with them. The core idea behind this series is the concept of "Choose Your Difficult," which emphasizes that every path we take in dog ownership comes with its own set of challenges. It’s not about finding an easy way out—because, frankly, there isn’t one. Instead, it’s about consciously choosing the challenges that align with your values and that will ultimately lead to the best outcomes for you and your dog.
In this second article, I will focus on one of the most crucial aspects of dog ownership—training. When it comes to training, the choice is often between investing time, effort, and consistency upfront or dealing with the long-term consequences of insufficient training later. This dilemma can be summed up simply: invest now or pay later. But within this dilemma lies another, deeper choice—the philosophy you choose to guide your training efforts. For me, that choice has always been relationship-based training. This method, though arguably the most challenging, is the one I believe leads to the most profound and rewarding bond between you and your dog.